


can't stop desire

by earthlings



Category: Cats - Andrew Lloyd Webber
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anthropomorphic, Bisexual Female Character, F/F, Feelings Realization, Friends to Lovers, Furry, Internalized Homophobia, Lesbian Character, Multi, Nonbinary Character, Other, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, Romance, Threesome - F/F/Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:14:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28232241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/earthlings/pseuds/earthlings
Summary: “I know this sounds crazy,” Demeter says, “but… sometimes I really feel like, maybe, if you were there with me… I might be able to go through with it.”“I love you, babe, but that does sound a little crazy,” Bombalurina snorts.And though it doesn't sound any less crazy by the next day, she finds herself waiting at Munkustrap's apartment door that evening anyway.
Relationships: Bombalurina/Demeter (Cats), Bombalurina/Demeter/Munkustrap (Cats), Bombalurina/Munkustrap (Cats), Demeter/Munkustrap (Cats)
Kudos: 22





	can't stop desire

**Author's Note:**

> Content warnings: internalized homophobia, unintentional misgendering, and implications of past sexual trauma.

Bombalurina has always been one for a dramatic entrance, no matter her mood. If she's happy, she'll be humming or singing a catchy tune as she twirls through the doorway before loudly announcing her presence to whoever is around to hear. A down-and-out Bombalurina is usually able to keep her composure right up until she gets home, where she promptly bursts into tears as soon as she sees the safety of the inside of her apartment.

Today, an angry Bombalurina whips the door open and doesn’t even hear the doorknob slamming against the wall over the sound of her own cursing. “That fucking _asshole_ ,” she growls, tossing her keys towards the counter without looking and rolling her eyes when she hears them clatter onto the floor. She doesn’t bother to pick them up, instead kicking them off to the side so they’re out of the way as she storms into the living room. “You aren’t going to fucking _believe this,_ Demeter.”

The cat in question raises an eyebrow from her place on the couch. “Hello to you too. How was your date?”

“I hate him. I _hate_ him.” Bombalurina’s fists are clenched tight as she paces around the room, and Demeter’s frown deepens; something really has to have Bombalurina riled up if she’s ignoring Demeter, of all people. “You really aren’t going to believe it this time, I _swear_.”

“I might if you actually tell me,” Demeter teases, reaching out to cautiously touch one of Bombalurina’s hands and smiling when it relaxes in response. She takes it gently and tugs, motioning for Bombalurina to sit next to her. “Come on. Take a deep breath, babe.”

Bombalurina does as she’s told, inhaling deep and letting it out in a heavy sigh as she sits on the other side of the couch. She lets their hands separate so she can run hers through her hair. “Okay. I’m good. I’m fine.”

“So… What did he do?”

The atmosphere in the room suddenly grows tense as Bombalurina averts her eyes. “I’m… not really sure where to start,” she says. “Well, uh… Tugger’s dating Misto now.”

Demeter’s eyes widen a little. “Oh,” she says. “ _Oh!_ That’s…” She trails off. She was going to say _great_ , because it _is;_ those two have been dancing around each other for years now, but it had never seemed to deter Bombalurina from pursuing Tugger like he was made of catnip, hence Demeter’s hesitation. “So it wasn’t really a date, then, or…?”

“Apparently not,” she grumbles. “Like, he didn’t _say_ it was but what the fuck else am I gonna think when he swaggers up to me like, _‘Hey, Bomba. Wanna go out for dinner tonight?’_ ” She lowers her voice dramatically for her impression and it makes Demeter giggle, but Bombalurina isn’t laughing. “So, whatever. We weren’t official anyway, right? I don’t care. That’s not even what I’m mad about.”

“Really?” Demeter raises an eyebrow.

“Yes, really!” she exclaims defensively. “Look, I know we have history but I’m not in love with him or whatever and I want him to be happy. I _did_ want him to be happy, anyway…”

Demeter rolls her eyes. “Okay. Tugger’s dating Misto, but you totally aren’t mad about it. So…?”

Bombalurina crosses her arms. “So after he makes his big dramatic coming out speech to me as if we all haven’t already known he’s bi for _years_ , he starts on another speech about how _I_ need to accept myself too, and I’m like, dude, what are you _talking_ about, and do you wanna know what he says?”

“Wh—”

“He says he knows I’m… a _lesbian_ and that it’s totally fine or whatever and he just— he starts _accusing_ me of all this shit, like, saying he’s seen me checking out girls before, and that I’ve been using him this whole time to pretend I’m straight but he doesn't mind because he knows how it feels to be _different_ and…” Bombalurina trails off, looking vulnerable for just a moment before she shakes it off and sneers again. “I’m so angry.”

Demeter stares, stunned. “Um… Wow. That’s… heavy.”

“No, it’s just _stupid_. I mean, come on,” Bombalurina growls, “ _all_ girls check each other out. He’s such an idiot.”

Demeter can’t help herself; she laughs. “What?”

“What?”

“Not all girls check each other out.”

Bombalurina narrows her eyes. “What are you talking about? Yes they do.”

“They really don’t.”

“ _You_ check girls out all the time!”

“…Yeah. I’m bi,” Demeter says flatly, ears pinning back against her head in annoyance. “So maybe that explains it?”

“Okay, well, yeah, fine. Whatever. The point is that _I’m not,_ and I’m obviously not a lesbian, either, so let’s agree that Tugger’s full of shit and drop it.”

Demeter raises her hands up in surrender. “Alright. Whatever you want.”

“…So,” Bombalurina says after an awkward pause, uncrossing her arms and shifting to get more comfortable. “How was _your_ date? Weren’t you gonna stay with Munk tonight?”

Demeter frowns and looks down at her lap. “Um. Yeah. I… almost did.”

Bombalurina’s expression softens, the last remnants of her anger melting away as she reaches out to take hold of one of Demeter’s hands. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I just… couldn’t. I kinda freaked out.” She sighs bitterly. “ _Again_.”

Bombalurina scoots closer, wrapping her other arm around Demeter and smiling a little when she feels Demeter’s head fall to rest against her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Dem."

Demeter sighs, cuddling into her friend and letting her eyes fall shut. “I know this sounds crazy,” she says after a minute, “but… sometimes I really feel like, maybe, if you were there with me… I might be able to go through with it.”

Bombalurina snorts. “I love you, babe, but that does sound a little crazy.”

Demeter shrugs. “You just… You really do make me feel safe. You know that. And when I’m with him and I get scared I… kind of find myself wishing you were there to tell me it’s okay. I actually, uh…” Demeter looks down at her lap, suddenly feeling shy. “Sometimes if I just… stop and imagine you there with me… It helps me keep going for a little longer.”

Bombalurina doesn’t reply right away, just continues to rub up and down her friend’s back soothingly. Just as Demeter starts to feel self-conscious for mentioning it at all, Bombalurina speaks up: “I’ll do it.”

Demeter pulls back to look at her in surprise. “Wait, what?”

“You said you were serious. If you really think it would help then I’ll do it.” Bombalurina shrugs, sounding remarkably calm about the proposition. “You know I’d do anything for you, Dem, right?”

“I…” Demeter swallows the lump in her throat, unsure of where to go from here. She hadn’t expected Bombalurina to actually suggest they do it, and while she’d thought about it plenty of times, an actual proposal suddenly seemed a little overwhelming. “A-are you sure?”

“Yeah. Just, y’know, don’t let Munk perv on me or whatever. I broke up with him for a reason.” She grins when Demeter snorts with laughter.

“You know he’s not like that.”

“I know, I know. He’s a _gentleman_.”

“Mmhm. Something like that.”


End file.
